Southcoast to expand lung cancer screening program to Greater New Bedford

Wednesday

Jan 15, 2014 at 7:54 PMJan 15, 2014 at 8:00 PM

By SIMÓN RIOSsrios@s-t.com

NEW BEDFORD – Southcoast Health System will expand its lung cancer screening program for high-risk patients to the Greater New Bedford area.

The program, now available only in Fall River, will be offered to community members who fit the enrollment criteria for a $20 enrollment fee. Typically, lung cancer screenings are not covered by insurance.

“I think this is actually going to save people's lives,” said Dr. Richard Miller, physician-in-chief for surgery and practicing thoracic surgeon at Southcoast at South Coast. “This has me very, very excited.”

Lung cancer is the most deadly form of cancer, expected to claim more than 160,000 lives in 2012, according to the American Lung Association. Smokers are 23 times more likely to contract the disease.

It is hard to detect in its early stages and is often found after it has spread to other parts of the body, such as the bones and brain.

“Lung cancer has been difficult to manage historically because it presents at a very advanced stage,” Miller said. “It has no real, reliable blood test, so we tend to see patients unfortunately when they have advanced disease, when (it's) very hard to treat.”

But Miller said recent research has demonstrated the efficacy of CT scan screenings in detecting the disease in early stages. They are likely to be standard procedure in the years to come, he said, although insurance companies currently don't cover them.

The Southcoast Lung Screening Program, directed by Miller, is already in place in Fall River. He said 55 people have already enrolled and abnormalities have surfaced in 10 of those patients.

To be eligible, participants must be between 55 and 74 with no history of lung cancer. They also must have a smoking history of 30 pack years or more — one pack year is equal to smoking 20 cigarettes a day for one year.

Former smokers must have quit within the last 15 years.

After an initial evaluation, participants will get a low-dose CT scan of the chest. Those who continue to qualify will receive two more scans in year two and year three. If an abnormality is present in any of the scans, medical staff will review and coordinate further care with the patient's medical team.

For more information call 855-259-5864 or visit southcoast.org/lungscreening.